it. guess what, this is the la "way too early" before christmas. you think this is important? look what's going on, violence jolts iraq. people need to know, they are on their treadmill. >> that's the story, too. that's all right. >> you know what? >> what? >> just do the news. we will cover for willie, again. >> okay. >> he's going to come in smelling of eggnog. he's a disgrace. a disgrace. >> it's christmas. >> you know what, you just wait. you cover for willie, again. i don't care. go ahead. go ahead! >> it is way too early for this, okay? now please, just read the paper. willie will be here soon. in the meantime, i'll take care of it. good morning, everyone. this is "way too early" the show that i can't believe willie gets up for. we are so glad you are up with us this morning watching on

msnbc or listening live on serious fm radio. >> do me a favor, stop being so cheerful. >> what? it's christmas. he's going to be here any second. calm down. move the blanket up and put your lazy boy back. >> i'm calling the police. i'm going to read my wall street journal editorials. >> you have lots of important things to read. let us know why you are awake. text the word awake followed by your response at 622639. isn't that adorable, joe? we are going to read the best responses later in the show. the next 30 minutes is crime for december 23rd. there is a lot going on. pakistan rejecting a pentagon report on who is to blame for the deadly air strike last month. plus, what happens when tom hanks has one too many at david

letterman's office party. you'll like that, joe. >> yeah. >> stop getting food on your robe. let's get to the news at 5:30. we'll start. you might want to close your ears for this. >> this is not going to be good christmas eve eve, is it? >> why? >> you are going to gloat about the republicans being right on policy. >> i'm not going to gloat. i noticed the headlines talking about the republicans caving and this and that. that's not the holiday cheer. that's not. we should just be happy they finally smartened up. democrats are taking a victory lap after house republicans retreated on their demands for a long-term payroll tax cut deal. it ends a nasty stand off in congress that left millions of americans wondering if they would lose an extra $1,000 from their paychecks next year. john boehner will fast track a two-month extension.

he announced his decision in a conference call with members of his caucus. this time, boehner didn't give his colleagues a chance to voice their opposition. with most lawmakers home for the holidays, the bill is expected to pass through a unanimous motion. few members need to be present. republicans are furious over the deal, including tea party backed freshman congressman who wrote this. >> even though there is plenty of evidence this is a bad deal for america, especially our small business owners the house has caved to the president and democrats. we were sent here with a clear set of instructions to put an end to business as usual in washington. yet, here we are being asked to sign off on yet another gimmick. the new bill mirrors the one passed by the senate that keeps

social security payroll taxes, maintains unemployment benefits through february and continues to pay doctors at their current rates through medicare. the only concession democrats made is allow for new language in the bill that aims to help small businesses implement the two month deal. house speaker, john boehner weighed in on the final outcome. >> everybody called for a one year extension of the payroll tax deduction. when everybody wanted a full year of extended unemployment benefits we were here fighting for the right things. may not have been the politically the smartest thing in the world. i think our members waged a good fight. we were able to come to an agreement. we were able to fix what came out of the senate. >> you know, it is a terrible way for republicans to end the year, there's no doubt about it. republicans feel a stretch.

freshmen feel they were right on policy. one freshman from alabama said listen, we may have got the holiday schedule wrong. we may have got the politics wrong, but we are right on policy. that said, this is a big blow for the house republicans. >> a big blow. he's not here yet. sorry. president obama also praised the deal in a statement saying this is good news, just in time for the holidays. this is the right thing to do to strengthen our families, grow our economy. this is real money that will make a real difference in people's lives. move on from that. >> let's go to 2012 election. >> yes! >> with 11 days to go until final votes are cast in iowa, the republican presidential field is taking a quick holiday break before the push like our boy willie. >> he needs a break. he's been working hard. mitt romney is focusing on new

hampshire striking a confident tone after getting the support of george h.w. bush. he said romney is mature and reasonable, not a bomb thrower. >> obviously, as you can tell, there's growing momentum for this effort here in new hampshire and across the country. i had the chance to chat with the president this afternoon and wish him a merry christmas. he did the same. i thanked him for his support, his leadership, his heroic life. this is more important for me personally than politically. he's a hero to me and my family. i appreciate his support. >> that is a big honor for mitt romney. it's big in new hampshire. 1988, a lot of people remember george h.w. bush. he came in third place behind

bob dole and robertson. he's hoping to do the same for romney. romney sat down with mark halperin, who asked the former massachusetts governor about david axelrod's theory that campaigns are like an mri of the so soul. >> i'm not sure we fully understood who barack obama was before he became the president of the united states. i think we are still learning that. i also think a campaign is an mri of the economy and the incumbent. the president will try to kill our nominee, brutalize them, destroy their life and record. what he can't hide, despite all the money, he can't hide his record and the fact he's been president at a time americans suffered and he hasn't turned the economy around. >> mark halperin is going to join us on set at the top of the hour and talk about his interview with mitt romney.

>> you are going to have to change for that. ron paul's surge in the iowa polls. his support continues to rise drawing huge crowds. he addressed the skepticism surrounding his campaign last night. >> anybody notice the polls have changed? [ cheers and applause ] >> republicans have been rather challenging. they say, it's impossible, he's out of step. he wants to balance the budget. how in the world can he get crowds out in his support? he wants to end the war and bring the troops home. >> mika, after the ups and downs of this campaign, all the people going into first place, just a week ago was newt gingrich's time. no doubt, going into the christmas vacation, in iowa, this is ron paul's time. >> it is. >> the timing is perfect.

it looks like a big ron paul win on january 3rd if he can get all those people showing up to go out and caucus. right now, who would have believed this a year ago? ron paul is the only republican candidate that has a base out in iowa. people coming to the event. twice as many as the other campaigns. >> can you believe we are going to be in iowa in ten days? >> java joes. >> let's turn to pakistan. the u.s. military admits it is responsible for a nato air strike that killed 24 pakistani soldiers. the pentagon puts blame on the officials siting a lack of trust. jim reports. >> reporter: the u.s. combat forces were on a night mission in a mountainous region on the pakistani border when they came

under fierce attack. they came under heavy machine gunfire from a ridge line inside pakistan. u.s. warplanes fired off flares making it clear those were americans on the ground. the attack raged on. assured there were no pakistani forces nearby, ac-10 helicopters pounded the attackers with rockets and cannon fight, killing 24 pakistani soldiers. how could this happen? a u.s. military investigation found miscommunications and a lack of coordination between u.s. and pakistani forces and american commanders maps were nine miles off target. more disturbing, the u.s. military gave them inprecise information during that operation because the americans simply don't trust them. that distrust and suspicion is mutual. >> they lose sight of the fact that they have shared common interests in the region.

that that's what they forget. they end up shooting at each other. >> reporter: this trust that threatens the u.s. war effort in afghanistan. >> we cannot operate effectively on the border without addressing the fundamental trust lacking between us. >> reporter: the pakistani's reject the u.s. findings. getting that trust is more distant than ever. >> why didn't we have those cool graphics. look at this. it's call of duty! >> okay. >> his polyester sports jacket. >> willie goes to a break now. >> hold on a second? >> what are you doing? >> i think i heard him. willie? >> it's halperin. hey, mark, have you seen willie? oh my god.

>> still ahead on "way too early," colts fans hope they can land the number one draft pick. the players aren't helping the cause. they are starting to win games. alec baldwin weighs in on whether politics are in his future. the mayor's mention in new york city. that story and a check on weather when "way too early" comes back. maybe willie will be here. a nationwide alert is out tonight for lynnette. she tried to assassinate president gerald ford. she broke out of a federal prison in west virginia.

♪

>> he'll be here soon, i know it. oh, see, i told you. >> okay. come in. >> i told you, i told you. >> ho, ho, ho. >> geez. >> it's just bill. have you seen willie? >> i haven't seen willie. i invited him to the pajama party, but -- >> that e's good. >> i always pictured the three of us hanging out in our p.j.s. >> you have different mental visions than i do. >> he's going to be fine. >> i don't know where he is. he went to an eggnog party. do we have snow? >> there's some in vermont and new hampshire. >> guess what? i don't live in vermont, do i? okay? >> it only snows in october now, didn't you know that? >> what's it looking like? >> easy travel.

we are looking at the forecast in new england. heavy rain through providence and boston. logan could have delays. this afternoon, it's going to clear out. it's fine to get to grandma's house. your get away friday forecast, much of the country, very quiet. the worst travel out there. christmas eve, believe it or not, west texas has a chance of getting christmas eve snow. there's a slight chance in dallas-ft. worth, santa may see snow flakes. don't expect it to cover the ground. by the time we get to christmas day, rain down there in louisiana, mississippi. that's about it. it doesn't feel like christmas with the weather. >> thank you. >> we joke with you a lot throughout the entire year. in the spirit of christmas, can i say this? get the hell out of my house. it's time for sports! >> could you find willie? call me. >> their first win of the

season, the colts hosted the champions, houston texas in indianapolis. the texans upset. we move to the fourth quarter. houston up by one. batted in the air. bounces off the colts defense. the texans jones comes up with it for a first down. replay shows the ricochet. look at that. unbelievable. >> yes. >> houston takes a four-point lead. the colts on the final march down with 24 seconds left on the clock. well, reggie wayne gets the one-yard touchdown pass. the game winning score. the colts fans go wild. houston is 0-10 in indianapolis. and indianapolis is proven once and for all it can't do anything right. it can't even suck when their best interest.

that's right. >> they were going to get a first round craft choice. the clippers get the last laugh with the lakers after years after being the brunt of the joke. chris paul leading the way. the clippers won both preseason games. paul had 17 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, shy of the triple double. he stopped by the jay leno show where he took issue with the new team. >> this is depressing. the nba canceled two more weeks worth of games. that means it could be the clippers best season ever. >> awesome. >> this is your game. don't go anywhere. we have will ferrell on the show tonight. he is in a new basketball movie called "semipro." it's about the clippers. >> i like that. >> this is the last one.

cut out the drums. it's not that funny. it's not that funny. all right, last one. last one. the nba playoffs start this weekend. the knicks will be playing the celtics, griz lees playing the spurs and the clippers playing angry birds. >> yeah. yeah. [ applause ] >> that works for me. >> that's just not nice. >> you did a good job with sports. don't you like willie's show? >> i like willie's show. i wish willie liked it. i have never seen it. >> now we understand more about him. >> what's coming up at the top of the hour when we -- >> do our show? >> put on our clothes? >> i don't know, i'm comfortable like this. house republicans cave on the payroll tax cut bill. how big of a break is it for president obama and what does it mean for the speaker? when we come back on "way too early" we are going to go inside

david letterman's hould party and see hollywood's biggest name acting badly. we'll be right back. regeneristt a $100 cream. flabbergasted when we creamed a $500 cream. for about $30 regenerist micro-sculpting cream hydrates better than over 20 of america's most expensive luxury creams. fantastic. phenomenal. regenerist. when you pour chunky beef with country vegetables soup over it... you can do dinner. four minutes, around four bucks. campbell's chunky. it's amazing what soup can do.

♪ all right. enough with the real news. >> yeah. >> we are going to gather around the water cooler and talk about the political aspirations of an

actor. we got an e-mail, valerie likes your slippers. >> it's nice that valerie likes something about me. >> she likes a lot about you. >> it took an entire year. that's for you valerie. let's talk about alec baldwin. he's flirting with a lot of things this year. he's flirted with the idea of jumping into politics. >> oh. >> this was in the new york times, alec is no longer interested in running for mayor of new york city. now, all of us in gothem can exhale. he's lost his appetite for the job. he blamed it on the current potential field of mayoral candidates suggestinging their overambition was distasteful. what did he say? >> quote, like a guy on a date you can tell he just -- i'm not going to read that. that's ridiculous. >> let me help you out here. it's like a guy who can't wait to get his hand up your blouse

before even the lights go out in the theater. >> stop it! >> alec baldwin said it, okay. i just report the news. >> i'm going to talk to willie about this. if you work in an office, you have probably already had your holiday party when you discover the frightening drinking problems of your co-workers. david letterman gave us a sneak peek into his end of the year bash. >> here was a problem. we ordered cookies. they came from an erotic bakery. i left the party early. this is what we do. guess who was here? tom hanks. you know who that is? it's tom hanks. he had one too many drinks there. >> i'm larry crowne, does that mean anything to you? your party sucks! >> that was the big thing. he knows ron howard.

>> what? >> how are you doing? >> where's willie? >> willie called me before he passed out. he said please, get to the studio and do "way too early." then i find you guys. >> jonathan, you are 26 minutes late, my man. >> i just woke up, leave me alone. >> come here. so you are telling me you dress like that when you pass out? that's how you look after a binder? >> yes. i suspected as much. >> we are going to go get changed. jonathan, go do e-mails or something. still ahead, why are you awake. your holiday tweets, texts and e-mails are coming up next. >> if you see willie, tell him to come back.

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tissue box (whispering): he said nasal congestion... nyquil: i heard him. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. ♪ and just let me be [ male announcer ] this is your moment. ♪ your ticket home ♪ [ male announcer ] this is zales, the diamond store. at the top of the show, we asked you, why are you awake. we have the answers. john? >> hey, jonathan, i have one from daniel. i'